Tea bag construction



y 1957 c. E. NELSON ET AL 2,793,954

TEA BAG CONSTRUCTION Filed Marh l8, 1955 fizz/enfo'w/ Chrz'ce 7Z2Z5072 and g m 22% H.7ZeZ507z United States Patent TEA BAG CONSTRUCTION Clarice E. Nelson, Lake Wohlford, Oakvale, Calif., and

' Erdick H. Nelson, Elgin, Ill.

Application March 18, 1955, Serial No. 495,236

7 Claims. ((199-771) This invention relates to an improved tea bag construction and, more particularly, to a tea bag construction having novel securing means for detachably securing a tea bag to a receptacle.

In the past, ditficulty has been experienced in conveniently suspending tea bags in either teacups or teapots to prevent the bag and its associated connecting string and tag from becoming entirely immersed in warm water from which rapid enough recovery to prevent an excessively strong tea infusion is often diflicult and cumbersome. The tag and string are particularly likely to become displaced into the teapot when boiling water is poured onto a tea. bag'which has previously beenpositioned in the pot, the

downward flow of water serving to displace the tag and string into the teapot.

Previous structures for detachably securing infusion envelopes to teapots and cups utilize various types of hook means which not only require the fabrication of additional securing means With'a consequent increase in cost but also are not capable of universal use since the hooked securing means are only useful with receptacles havingacutely angularly formed portions with which a hook shaped member could be moved into interlocking engagement. Further, in these'prior devices, it is necessary to provide excessively long lengths of flexible securing means interconnecting the infusion envelope and the hooked means in order to permit the immersion of the envelope in the fluid when the hook engaging structure is spaced varying distances from the fluid containing portion of the teapot. Accordingly, one embodiment of thi invention is to provide a new and improved device for making infusions which includes securing means of universal application.

Another object isto provide a new and improved tea bag construction having atag or label provided with adhesive means for'detachably securing the tag to a teapot or teacup, thereby to'suspen'd the fluid pervious container within the associated receptacle.

Afurther object involve s the provision of a tag for a tea bag which includes a lamina having adhesive qualities in the temperature range between seventy and two hundred degrees'Fahrenheit.

A still further object of the: present inventionis to provide an improved tea bag construction including adhesive means carried on the tag which normally are covered by detachably secured means to prevent the tags from being inadvertently joined during packing and prior to use.

In accordance with these'and many other objects, an embodiment of the invention comprises an infusion envelope filled with tea and formed of a fluid pervious mate,- rial which is connected to a tag of flexible material by means of a string. One surface of the tag is at least partially covered with an adhesive material having adhesivequalities in thetemperature range betweensseventy and two hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The adhesive co vered portion of the tag is covered by a lamina of detachably adhered material for preventing the adhesive mate- 7 rial from becoming secured to adjacent tea bags when a Patented May 28, 1951 "ice plurality of bags are assembled in juxtaposed position in a package.

In one modification of the tea bag construction, the strip of covering material extends beyond the end of the tag to provide a portion which may be manually apprehended.

In another embodiment, the tag is perforated along a transversely extending line to provide an end portion which may be removed from the tag. A longitudinally extending adhesive material located on the other portion of the tag, which is connected to the infusion envelope, is covered by a longitudinally extending layer of covering material which detachably engages the adhesive material and which is secured to the removable portion to permit the covering material to be removed by manually separating the two portions of the tag.

In a third embodiment in which the tag is transversely weakened or perforated, the adhesive lamina extends transversely across the tag adjacent to the line of perforations and is covered by a layer of detachably adhering material which substantially covers and is secured to the removable portion of the tag, thereby to permit the covering material to be removed by tearing the removable portion of the tag away from the portion secured to the infusion envelope.

Many other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description when considered in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a teapot having an im 2 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved tea bag construction of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a tag forming a portion of the I improved tea bag construction and showing a protective strip partially removed therefrom;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of a teapot showing the improved tea bag construction in an assembled relation therewith;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modification of the tag construction having a removable portion; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another modification of the tag construction shown in Fig. 3 in which a removable tag portion is provided.

Referring now to the drawings, the improved tea bag construction, indicated generally as 10, comprises an envelope or container 12 formed of a fluid perviou material in which is received a mass of material, such as tea, which is to be infused. The envelope is connected by a string 14 to a tag 16 having a layer or lamina 18 of adhesive material applied to at least one portion of one surface thereof. The adhesive material 18 is covered by a prof.

tectiye strip 20 which is detachably secured thereto so that assembled in a carton.

to be secured to the side of a receptacle, such as a teapot 22. The tea bagconstruction 10 is of general utility inasmuch as the provision of the adhesive layer 18 permits the tag l6 to be secured in any position on a receptacle such as theteapot 22 to position the infusion envelope 12 within a body 24 of warm water, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, without requiring an excessively long length of string 14.

Referring now to the infusion envelope 12, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, this is formed by-foldinga strip of fluid permeable medium, such as porous paper, and

securing the foldedportions of the mediumto provide three seamed portions 26, 28, and 30 enclosing a mass of material such as tea which is to be infused. Obviously, a number of fluid permeable or pervious materials are adapted for use in forming the envelope 12 and, in addition, the construction may be formed of a non-permeable material which is perforated to permit the warm water to form an infusion of the materials contained therein. The envelope or container 12 is secured to the string 14 by means of a staple 32 and the tag 16 is secured to the string 14 by similar staple means 34, although any other suitable securing means may be utilized.

The adhesive layer or lamina 18 is applied to the tag 16 which may be formed of any suitable paper product having sufiicicnt flexibility to be conformable to the outer surface of a receptatclc, such as the teapot 22, but which possesses enough strength to maintain the staple 34 in a gripping engagement with the end of the string 14. It is desirable to provide a tag 16 having a degree of flexibility, thereby enabling it to conform to the outer surface of the teapot 22, inasmuch as this permits the formation of a relatively strong adhesive bond between the adhesive lamina 18 and the outer surface of the receptacle.

In Order to adequately secure the tag 16 to the surface of the teapot 22, the adhesive layer or lamina 18 is applied to at least a portion of one surface of the tag 16 to provide a large enough adhesive area for providing an intimate bond with the outer surface of the infusion receptacle 22 which may be relatively smooth, as in the case of receptacles formed of metal, or which may be relatively porous as in the case of partially glazed ceramic Wares. Since the receptacle 22 becomes heated during the preparation of the tea infusion, the adhesive layer-18 must have adhesive qualities in the temperature range between seventy and two hundred degrees Fahrenheit, thereby to prevent the adhesive material from becoming softened and breaking the adhesive bond with theouter surface of the teapot or cup.

Chlorinated rubber, butadiene-styrene resins, polyvinylpyrrolidone resins, butyl methacrylate polymers and polyvinyl butyral resins cured with phenolic resins have adhesive qualities which provide satisfactory bonds between the tag 16 and the outer surface of the teapot within the critical temperature ranges. Although the lamina 18 is shown as only covering a portion of one surface of the tag 16, it is obvious that the dimensions of the layer 18 may be varied to provide different degrees of bonding action in dependence upon the type of adhesive material used and the nature of the surface with which the bond is to be produced. It is also desirable that the adhesive material forming the lamina 18 be substantially water insolube inasmuch as, on occasions when the adhesive securing means is not utilized for securing the tag 16 to a receptacle, the tag may be immersed in the warm fluids utilized in forming the infusion, and it is necessary to avoid contaminating the tea infusion With dissolved components of the adhesive material.

In order to prevent the adhesive material from bonding to other components of the tea bag construction or the receptacle in which a plurality of the constructions 10 may be packed, a protective strip is applied to the layer 18 to be detachably secured thereto. This strip of covering material is not adhesive in character and thus prevents the tags from sticking to other portions of the construction 10 and to the carton in which a plurality of the constructions 10 are packed. The strip 20 is provided with an end portion 36 extending beyond one end of the tag 16 to permit the strip 20 to be readily apprehended so that it can be peeled off of the tag 16 (Fig. 3) to permit the adhesive layer 18 to be pressed into engagement with the vessel with which the tea bag as sembly 10 is to be utilized.

An additional method of removing the covering material or protective strip from the adhesive layer on the tag is embodied in the construction shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. More specifically, a tag 50, which is con nected to the infusion envelope 12 through the string 14, is weakened or perforated along a line 52 which effectively divides the tag into two separate portions 54 and 56 which are detachably secured together. A layer of adhesive material 58 is applied to the portion 54 of the tag extending longitudinally therealong, and a strip of covering material 59 extending over the portion 56 of the tag 50 is detachably adhered to the lamina 58 of adhesive material. The portion of the covering material 59 which extends over the portion 56 is secured thereto by mechanical means, such as a staple, by glue, or by an extension of the adhesive lamina 58. Alternatively, this portion of the covering material is free from connection with the portion 56 of the tag 50 so as to be capable of being manually held together to permit the portion 56 and the covering material 59 to be separated from the remainder of the tag 50.

When it is desired to remove the protective strip 59, the portion 56 of the tag 50 and the adjacent portion of the covering material 59 are manually apprehended'and separated from the portion 54. Since the covering strip 59 is secured to the portion 56 either by securing means or by manual pressure, this strip is removed from the lamina 58 of adhesive material, thereby permitting the portion 54 of the tag to be secured to the receptacle 22. In addition, by avoiding the extending portion 36 of the covering material 20, the tag construction disclosed in Fig. 5 of the drawings is capable of being formed by a single die cutting operation.

Fig. 6 of the drawings also discloses an additional modified tag construction 60 which provides another manner of removing a protective strip from an adhesive lamina and which is also of such a construction as to permit the tag 60 to be formed by a single die cutting operation. The tag 60, which is connected to an infusion envelope 12 by the string 14, is perforated or weakened along a line 62 to define two separate tag portions 64 and 66. An adhesive lamina 68 is applied to the portion 66 of the tag 60 so as to extend transversely across the portion 66 parallel to and adjacent the line of'perforation 62. A lamina 69 of covering material substantially covers and, in the manner of the material 59, is adapted to be secured to the portion 64 of the tag by mechanical or adhesive securing means or by manual pressure. This lamina or layer also extends across the weakened portion of the tag 60 to detachably adhere to the lamina 68 of adhesive material. The tag construction 60 is prepared for supporting the infusion envelope 12 from a surface of the receptacle 22 by manually apprehending the portion 64 and the overlying lamina 69 of protective material and separating or tearing the portion 64 from the portion 66 of the tag, thereby removing the protective lamina 69 from the layer 68 of adhesive material.

In use, the tea bag assembly 10 may be detachably secured to any suitable receptacle such as the teapot 22 or a cup by placing the infusion envelope 12 within the receptacle either prior to or following the introduction of heated water into the receptacle. Thereafter, the end portion 36 of the protective strip 20 is manually apprehended and the strip is removed fromthe layer 18 of adhesive material. The tag 16 is then pressed against a suitable surface of the receptacle, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that the flexible tag conforms with the outer configuration of the receptacle wall. The application of pressure to the outer surface of the tag 16 presses the layer 18 of adhesive material into intimate engagement with the wall surface, thereby producing an adhesive bond which supports the infusion envelope 12 in a suitable position, such as shown in Fig. 4, in which the infusion envelope is immersed in the body of Water 24. Following a sufficient period of time to provide an infusion of the desired strength, the tag 16 is manually apprehended and removed from the receptacle 22, thereby permitting the removal of the infusion envelope 12 from the liquid. The tag constructions 50 and 60 are utilized to support or secure the infusion envelope 12 within the receptacle 22 in the manner set forth above after separating the portions 56 and 54 and 64 and 66 thereof so as to remove the strips of protective material 59 and 69 from the adhesive laminas 56 and 68, respectively.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a securing means of universal application which is adapted to be utilized in conjunction with receptacles of varying configurations to provide positive means for securing the tags 16, 50 and 60 in an accessible position in which an infusion envelope is supported or suspended in a body of infusion liquid. Inasmuch as these tags are secured in a readily accessible position, manual removal of the tea bag assembly is facilitated.

While the present invention has been illustrated in connection with several embodiments thereof, it should be understood that these details are not intended as a limitation of the invention except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

What is desired to be claimed by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for use in conjunction with receptacles containing warm beverage infusions comprising a fluid pervious container having a mass of beverage material to be infused, a tag, a string connecting said tag to said container, an adhesive on the tag adapted to detachably secure said tag to a Wall surface of a receptacle with said container positioned in said receptacle, and a layer of material detachably adhered to said adhesive.

2. The construction set forth in claim 1 in which the adhesive comprises material which remains substantially adhesive in the temperature range from seventy to two hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

3. A device for use in conjunction with a receptacle containing a warm beverage infusion comprising a fluid pervious container having a mass of beverage material to be infused, a tag of flexible material conformable to the configuration of said receptacle, 3. string interconnecting the container and the tag, an adhesive on at least a portion of said tag adapted to detachably secure said tag to a wall surface of said receptacle, and a lamina of covering material detachably adhering to said adhesive and adapted to be removed to permit said adhesive to be placed in engagement with said wall surface.

4. A device for use in conjunction with a receptacle containing -a warm beverage infusion comprising a fluid pervious container having a mass of beverage material to be infused, a flexible tag, an elongated flexible member connecting said tag to said container, said tag being weakened along a line extending across said tag to divide said tag into two separable portions, an adhesive applied to one of said portions, and a layer of covering material secured to the other of said portions and detachably covering said adhesive, thereby to permit said layer to be removed by separating said two portions of the tag.

5. The device set forth in claim 4 in which the adhesive extends adjacent and parallel to said line of weakening, and in which said covering material substantially covers the portion of the tag to which it is secured.

6. The device set forth in claim 4 in which the adhesive extends substantially perpendicular to the line of weakening and in which the covering material is elongated in a direction substantially perpendicular to said line. 1

7. A tag construction comprising a tag structurally weakened along a line lying within a plane normal to said tag to permit the tag to be divided into two separate parts along said line, an adhesive applied to one of said parts, and a layer of material detachably adhering to said lamina on one of said parts and extending over the other of said parts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 634,349 Humphrey Oct. 3, 1899 1,362,054 Stockman Dec. 14, 1920 1,723,702 Mitchell Aug. 6, 1929 2,192,605 Salfisberg Mar. 5, 1940 2,278,339 Vollmer Mar. 31, 1942 2,614,934 Trotman Oct. 21, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Tea and Coffee Trade Journal, January 1953, pages 39 and 41. 

1. A DEVICE FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH RECEPTACLES CONTAINING WARM BEVERAGE INFUSIONS COMPRISING A FLUID PERVIOUS CONTAINER HAVING A MASS OF BEVERAGE MATERIAL TO BE INFUSED, A TAG, A STRING CONNECTING SAID TAG TO SAID CONTAINER, AN ADHESIVE ON THE TAG ADAPTED TO DETACHABLY 